Posted: Mar 11, 2014
Wilmington, NC - The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) released the bracket for the upcoming National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas on Monday as Cape Fear Community College received a 24-seed in the 24-team event.
"Our guys have grown so much over this year and it's been a wild ride," said CFCC Coach Ryan Mantlo. "We plan to get a few days of work in and we now know our opponent, so it's just a matter of getting things done. I told our guys to enjoy this moment and the experience as we compete for a national title."
Each of the 16 districts in the NJCAA advanced to the National Tournament along with eight additional teams as 'zone' qualifiers and at-large selections. All teams are seeded in the bracket at the direction of the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee, with the top 8 seeds receiving first-round byes.
No. 24 CFCC will have a first-round game against No. 9 South Plains out of Texas. Tip-off is scheduled for noon on Monday, March 17. The tournament runs through March 22.
"This is a moment our guys will never forget," said Mantlo. "We've come such a long way since the beginning of the season and it's all a tribute to the hardwork we've put in each day at practice. We look forward to representing Region 10 to the best of our ability as we get ready for this next challenge ahead of us."
Cape Fear advanced to the National Championships with a 99-89 win over Brunswick Community College in the Region 10 Finals on Saturday afternoon. The Sea Devils have been led all season by a trio of players, including Anthony Vanhook (22.1 ppg), Osandai Vaughn (20.1ppg) and JT Murphy (10.9ppg).
For a complete tournament bracket and seedings for the NJCAA National Tournament, log onto www.njcaa.org.